The After
by myeveryday
Summary: Sometimes, it's the little moments that really count. A series of missing moments between Lois and Clark throughout Smallville.
1. The Morning After

**Author's Note:No, you're not imagining this. You have seen these before. I figured I would condense all of these into one fic, and add on to them if inspiration struck. If you've read them before, I hope you still enjoy them. If you haven't read them yet, well, I hope that you like it. Thanks!  
**

**So this is my first **_**Smallville**_** fic. No flames, please. I thought something was missing from Pandora. This is what I thought should have been said. I hope you all like it!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own **_**Smallville**_**.**

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He propped his head up on his elbow as he looked down at her. A soft smile played on his lips as he reached one hand out and brushed the hair back from her face. He ducked down and grazed his lips across hers.

She smiled against his lips. "Are you going to give me a real kiss, or what?"

He smiled and pressed his lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss. Lois sighed against his mouth as a warm feeling spread in the pit of her stomach. She knew that it was beyond clichéd, but she couldn't believe that she was here, with him.

Clark pulled back much too soon, in Lois's opinion. With his free hand, he cupped Lois's cheek and rubbed the pads of his thumb across the smooth skin. Lois leaned into his touch. It felt so good, having Clark touch her, having him look at her in the way that he was. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she had wanted Clark to look at her in _that way_ for the longest time.

He only had eyes for her. It had been too long since someone had looked at her like that. Her heart rate picked up, and she was sure that it was going to pound right out of her chest.

Clark's lips tilted upwards. "You okay?" he asked. Lois was just watching him, and, at some point in her study, her heartbeat had picked up.

"I'm fine," Lois quickly assured him. She pulled the sheet closer to her body. The early morning air was cold, and she could feel goose bumps forming on her exposed flesh. Clark slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Lois's smile widened and her eyes drifted shut settled into the warmth of his chest.

"I could get used to this," she muttered.

Clark chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest that Lois felt in her back. "I hope so," he said as he pressed his lips to the back of her neck. He heard her gasp, and he couldn't help but smile against her skin. Knowing that he had that kind of effect on her… He trailed his kisses to her shoulder and then back up to her neck, finding her pulse point with his lips. He scraped his teeth against her skin lightly, and she arched against him. He inhaled sharply as his body reacted to her movement.

"Well, it certainly is a good morning," Lois quipped.

Clark shrugged his shoulders and rolled onto his back, taking her with him. She settled herself so her head was lying on his chest. Their legs tangled together, and Clark pulled the sheets back around her body.

"Hey. I'm in a nice, warm bed with the woman that I missed the most. Those are two things that I haven't had in a long time. Especially the woman part."

Lois felt herself smile. God, she couldn't believe that she was such a sap. She tilted her head and looked up at him. Even though they both had been thoroughly sated, lines of worry still creased his face. She reached up and cupped his cheek in one hand.

"I don't know what's going on right now, Clark," Lois said softly.

Clark sighed. "You don't want to know." He recognized the determined look growing in her eyes, and he added, "Trust me, Lois."

Lois paused. She was in a different time, and this certainly wasn't the same Metropolis that she knew—but this was definitely the same Clark. She had no doubt about it. Finally, she nodded her head. She didn't know what they were going to do today; hell, she didn't even know how she was going to get home.

"What are you thinking about?" Clark asked as he trailed his fingers up and down her arm.

Lois sighed. "Nothing. Just… nothing." She tried to empty her mind. She pushed her frantic thoughts to the back of her mind, but it just didn't work. The words were out of her mouth before she even had time to think about it.

"What are we going to do—"

"I love you, Lois."

Well.

That certainly cleared her mind.

She blinked at him. He was watching her intently, waiting for her to say or do something. He didn't look like he was going to take it back, either.

"I… Really?" Lois finally squeaked.

Clark chuckled and smoothed her hair back. "It looks like I finally rendered Lois Lane speechless." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yes, really. I love you."

Lois watched him for several long moments. She didn't know what was going on right now. She didn't know where she was—because this certainly wasn't the Metropolis that she knew—and she didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow.

But she did know that she had loved Clark Kent for a long time.

She reached up and laid a kiss on him that left them both breathless. When she pulled away, Clark still had his eyes closed. They were both breathing heavily.

"I love you, too," she said.

Clark's eyes opened; he beamed at her. He took her in his arms and flipped her onto her back. He hovered over her, keeping most of his weight on the hands that he had on either side of her.

"That's good," he said as one hand slipped under the sheets. Lois's breath caught when she realized where it was going.

"Yeah," she said, a little breathlessly. "It is."

And then they kissed.

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**Author's Note: I hope it wasn't too bad for a fluffy little one-shot. I might actually write a Smallville fic, one day. I hope you all liked it!**


	2. The Phone Call After

**Author's Note: So, this one takes place after Persuasion. I thought that that was a nice episode—for both Clois and the relationship between Martha and Lois. So this is going to be another phone call between Lois and Martha, maybe about a week or so after the events in Persuasion. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

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Lois toweled off her wet hair as she made her way towards her sofa. After the events of Valentine's Day, she was glad that she could curl up on her sofa with a Lifetime movie and a carton of ice cream.

"At least everything in a Lifetime movie ends well," Lois mumbled.

She couldn't believe how she had humiliated herself the past couple of days. She quit her job and called everyone that she knew to tell them that she and Clark were getting married.

She couldn't decide what irked her more: the fact that she had actually done that, or the fact that Clark hadn't done anything to stop her. It wasn't like he ever corrected her, because, let's face it: he never actually proposed.

And she wasn't sure if that disappointed her or not.

She pushed that thought away. After everything that happened, now was so not the time to be thinking about marrying Clark. It was so early in their romantic relationship, and they didn't even know everything about each other yet.

It was sad, but true.

After five years of friendship and a few months of dating, they were still keeping secrets. Lois wasn't afraid to admit that it was okay; that sometimes secrets made the relationship more exciting. It added an air of mystery.

Lois wasn't too sure about that mystery anymore.

Before she could dwell on her relationship with Clark anymore, the phone rang. Lois muted the television and tucked the phone between her ear and her shoulder.

"Hello?" she said around a spoonful of rocky road.

"Lois? It's Martha."

Lois quickly swallowed and sat up straight. "Mrs. K! Hi! How are you?"

Martha chuckled. "I'm doing well, Lois. How about you?"

Lois felt her cheeks flush bright red. "Better… better then I was before."

Martha laughed again. "Oh, Lois," she said.

"Mrs. Kent, I just wanted to apologize… again… for the way that I acted."

"Lois—"

"Mrs. K, I was way out of line. I just wanted to apologize for embarrassing you and Clark over the past couple of days."

"Lois, I want you to listen to me: there is no one I would rather have Clark marry then you."

Lois was completely taken aback by Martha's confession. Her throat closed up and tears instantly came to her eyes, she was so touched by what Martha had just said. She gripped the phone tighter in her hand and swallowed hard.

"Really?" Lois finally said. It was all she could manage. She was completely floored.

"Yes, really," Martha said. "Clark loves you. He may not have said, and you may not want to admit it, but he loves you, and I know that you love him."

Lois didn't confirm or deny it, but they both knew that it was true.

"Lois, I know that you're the one for my son… and he's the one for you. One day, the two of you are going to get married. And when that day comes, you can wear my dress, Lois. I want you to."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kent," Lois whispered. "You have… no idea how much this means to me."

"I love you, Lois," Martha said. "I've always thought of you as a daughter."

Lois nodded her head before she realized that Martha couldn't see her. A tear rolled down her cheek and she smiled.

"I had to grow up so quickly after my mom died. It was nice to be the kid again. I love you too, Mrs. K."

She could practically hear Martha's wide smile through the phone. "I'll talk to you later, Lois."

"Bye, Mrs. Kent. It was good to hear from you."

"You too, Lois. You too."

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**Author's Note: I hope that you all liked this one. Thanks for reading!**


	3. The Weeks After

**Author's Note: Okay, so this takes place during Infamous. It's between when Clark forgot to pick Lois up and when he told her his story (when she was still angry with him). Personally, I don't understand why Lois wasn't more upset with Clark about the whole Lana thing. I'm not saying that she would be spiteful or bitter… I'm just saying that she would be upset.**

**I'm also considering doing an AU story. It's going to be about what would have happened if Lois had stayed in Smallville after the wedding in Bride instead of going to Star City. This would require me to go back and watch the five-episode arc with Lana in it. Which is something that I REALLY don't want to do. But I'm willing to sacrifice myself for a story. Just tell me what you think.**

**Alright, I'm done with my rambling now. I hope that you all enjoy this little one-shot!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

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Rocky road was Lois Lane's favorite ice cream.

It was great for drowning her sorrows in. She snorted as she dipped her spoon into the second carton of the night. Well, at least she was dry now.

Her third cheesy Lifetime movie had just finished, and she had absolutely no intentions of moving from the sofa. In fact, she had several cartons of ice cream along with a good ol' six pack waiting for her in the fridge. Granted, she hadn't started in on that six pack yet, but it was there… just in case she needed it.

She was looking into the carton wondering—not for the first time—if she should switch to a bowl, when there was a knock on the door. Grumbling under her breath, Lois dropped her ice cream carton on the coffee table and stood up.

When she opened the door, Lois was greeted with the person that she least wanted to see—or maybe it was the most.

Clark Kent.

"Oh, look who it is," Lois said as she stepped away from the door. Clark had a remarkable way showing up where she didn't want him; there was no point in trying to shut the door. "Nobody."

"Lois, don't be like that," Clark said as he stepped into the apartment. He shut the door behind him. "I said I was sorry."

Clark knew that it was a crappy excuse. But he didn't know what else to say to Lois. He had a feeling that her anger ran deeper than she was willing to admit. Deep down, somewhere, he knew what it was all about—he just didn't want to admit to himself, either.

"Yeah, well," Lois mumbled under her breath. "Maybe sorry isn't good enough."

Clark winced. She thought that he hadn't heard her, but, of course, he had. As naïve as it was, he had initially thought that he wasn't hurting her.

"What is this about, Lois?" Clark asked he stepped closer. Voicing his thoughts, he said, "Something tells me that this goes deeper than me missing the pick-up at the airport."

"Give the farmer a prize!" Lois exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air. The words escaped her before she could think about it. Once again, her mouth had run away with her.

"Then why don't you tell me what's wrong? We're not going to solve this unless you tell me." Clark felt like he had gone back in time. He hadn't argued like this with her since his senior year of high school.

Lois felt red-hot anger flare through her. He was so _blind_. She had all but thrown herself at him at the wedding. They had almost kissed, for God's sake! _He_ had asked _her_ to dance! He didn't even ask her! He just grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him!

"_Lana!_"

Lois's eyes went wide with shock. She couldn't believe she had just said that. She couldn't believe that she had just said that to _Clark_. Clark, of all people! The man was in love with Lana Lang! How could she possibly explain her anger?

Oh, right. Because she loved him.

She wasn't willing to admit to herself. She wasn't willing to admit it to anyone, really. And she wasn't about to do it now.

Clark's blue eyes were wide with shock as well. It was a long, tense moment before he finally blinked at her. He looked like he was about to fall over.

"_What?_"

Well, it wasn't like she could take it back. She might as well go full-steam ahead.

"Clark, I don't know if you noticed—I mean, you were there, you should have—but we were in the middle of doing something when Lana arrived. Do you realize that you ignored me the moment that she walked in?"

"No I didn't."

Clark's words came out on reflex. He thought back to that horrible night—back to before it was horrible—and realized with a sinking gut that she was right. As soon as Lana had walked into the barn, Clark had turned away from Lois.

"It always happens, Clark," Lois continued. It was like she couldn't stop. "Every time Lana comes in, you completely drop what you were doing and you run to her. Do you realize how many people that you've hurt?"

"I—Lois." Clark swallowed hard. He couldn't believe how right she was. "I'm sorry."

Lois let out a bitter laugh. "I don't know if sorry can cut it this time, Clark." She was ashamed to feel tears burning in her eyes. She looked down at the ground and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "It hurt. A lot."

She cleared her throat. "You had something with Lana. I understand that," she said. "But you never thought that you could love someone besides her."

A tear trickled down her cheek. The dam had broken. Everything that she had been feeling for the past month had just poured out. She hated that she couldn't hide herself from Clark. She hated that he made her so vulnerable.

"Maybe you should leave, Clark," Lois suggested softly. She didn't know how much longer she could keep it together around him.

Clark studied Lois for several long moments. It shouldn't have surprised him how much it killed him by seeing her in pain. But it did, a little bit. He wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and hold her close, but he didn't—and she wouldn't let him. Instead, he nodded his head.

"I'll see you later, Lois," Clark whispered as he left the apartment.

"Yeah," Lois said as the door shut behind him. "Later."

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Clark regretted the fact that Lois no longer knew his secret. He wished that he could tell her, but he knew that it would be better for her this way. He had to protect her, and he couldn't do that if the world knew who he was.

He was now on the way to the airport. He was glad that he had a second chance to make Lois happy. Now that he knew what had made Lois so angry, he was glad that he could alleviate that anger a little bit.

He wished that Lois would tell him what had bothered her so much. He knew that she wouldn't, not now. But he was resolved to treat Lois better; he was resolved to protect her.

He pulled up outside of the airport. There she was, waiting for him, her bright-blue suitcases in hand. She opened the door to his truck and threw her bags in before he even had time to get out and help her.

"Hey, Smallville," she greeted.

"Lois," Clark returned with a grin. "How have you been?"

"Okay, considering." She slid into the cab and shut the door behind her. "Nice timing."

Clark listened to the steady downpour coming down on the roof of the cab before he turned to Lois and smiled. "Thanks."

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**Author's Note: I hope that this wasn't too out of character. I feel like, since he left her at the airport and she was already angry, she would have just let spill everything that was bothering her. Lois isn't exactly one to hold anything back. But once Clark went back in time and picked her up, she wasn't as willing to divulge her feelings.**

**Also, please let me know how you all feel about the fic I suggested in the beginning. I'm already on episode two of five, and it's… painful. Blech. Anyway, I'm sorry that it was so angsty. Still, I hope that you all enjoyed this!**


	4. The Hours After

**Author's Note: I was so inspired by the response I got for **_**The Morning After**_**, I decided to put up another one-shot. I might make a little series out of it. They would be moments after important scenes. This one takes place right after the funeral in Reckoning, and, of course, it will be a Clois.**

**I'm not really big on Clana, so she's not exactly in this one-shot. This is definitely a friendship one, but if you want to see it (and I want to), there is Clois romance. I hope you all enjoy this!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

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Lois gripped the stem of her glass tightly. She wasn't drinking out of it; it just gave her something to do. Her eyes were unfocused as people dressed in all black milled around her. She remained by the food table in the event that she emptied whatever was in her glass.

Before she could continue the dark thoughts that had been plaguing her ever since the wake had started, Martha suddenly appeared at her side. The older woman was unnaturally pale, and her normally vivid eyes were red and puffy.

But she was smiling. Lois didn't know how she did it; Martha Kent was truly amazing.

"Lois," she said softly.

"Mrs. Kent," Lois said in the same quiet voice.

"I have a favor I want you to do for me," Martha said.

Lois put down her glass. "Of course. Anything."

"It's been two hours. Clark hasn't come back from the graveyard yet. Could you go and get him for me? I'm worried."

"Of course, Mrs. Kent," Lois said. She didn't bother to question why the older woman hadn't sent Lana or Chloe. Instead, she grabbed her jacket and slid it on. Martha followed her to the door and then handed her the keys to Clark's truck.

"Thank you, Lois," Martha said quietly. She reached out and squeezed Lois's hand, and she got the feeling that Martha was thanking her for a lot more than getting her son.

"Anytime," Lois returned. She squeezed Martha's hand in return before she walked out into the brisk winter air. She jammed her hands into her pockets as she quickly made her way around the back of the farmhouse, where the truck was parked.

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Lois pulled up a little ways away from Jonathan Kent's headstone. She couldn't see Clark yet, but she didn't want to disturb him with the noisy engine. She got out of the car and slid her hands into her pockets once again as she made her way down the path.

After a few minutes, she could see Clark on his knees in front of the headstone. She shivered just watching him. Her breath was puffing out in front of her, it was so cold. She couldn't imagine how he was kneeling in the snow.

The snow made Lois's approach silent. Even so, Clark somehow knew that she was there. He wasn't at all surprised when she stopped behind him, paused, and then put a hand on his shoulder.

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Finally, Lois squeezed his shoulder when she couldn't take the cold anymore.

"You're mom sent me out to get you," Lois said softly. "You've been out here for hours."

Clark didn't say anything, and Lois didn't push the subject. She just squeezed his shoulder again and breathed in deeply as she fought the sudden urge to cry

"He was like a father to me," Lois blurt before she could stop herself. Clark's head turned ever so slightly, so she took it as a cue to continue.

"My dad… well, he was never the warm-fuzzies type. After my mom died, we sort of just… grew apart. But your dad was always giving me advice. He always had faith in me. He always there to help, and I… I regret not telling him how much he meant to me."

She sank to her knees next to Clark. The snow soaked her stockings as her hand slid from his shoulder to his hand. He squeezed her hand slightly, and she squeezed his in return.

Clark turned his head towards her, and Lois saw that his eyes were red and puffy, just like she was sure hers were. He stared at her for one long moment before his eyes suddenly widened.

"What are you doing?" Clark demanded. "You'll freeze!"

"What are _you_ doing?" Lois countered. "You aren't freezing?"

Clark just shook his head. Then he looked her dead in the eyes. He pierced her with a look so full of hurt and loss that it made Lois's heart break just looking at him.

"My dad knew how you felt about him," Clark said after a long moment.

Lois turned to look at him, her eyes suddenly shining with tears. Clark nodded his head when she opened her mouth and nothing came out.

"He knew that you loved him, Lois. He always believed that you would go far in life."

Lois slid her arms around Clark and hugged him tightly. Clark's arms wrapped around her waist and he buried his face in her neck. They both needed something to hold on to. Even though they spent most of their time bantering with each other, they realized that they would always be there for each other.

"You know," Lois whispered. "He believed in you, too."

Clark nodded his head against her neck and held her tighter. They remained kneeling in front of the headstone, holding each other. They didn't know how long they had been there, but at some point, Clark had decided that Lois had had enough.

He started and pulled away from her a little bit. "Lois, you… you must be freezing," he said. He stood and offered her his hand. She took it and stood, looking down at her soaked legs. She had stopped feeling the cold long ago.

Still holding hands, they walked to Clark's truck. Lois dug his keys out of her pocket and offered them to him. Clark shook his head.

"I don't think that I'm okay to drive," he said quietly.

Lois blinked at him. He never let anyone drive his truck. But Clark was getting into the passenger side, so Lois walked to the other side of the car. Once she turned it on, she cranked the heat up. Clark didn't look bothered by the cold at all.

She raised an eyebrow at his damp pants. He shrugged his shoulders and put his hand on her knee. Despite spending hours out in the cold, his large hand was warm.

They drove back to the farm in silence. When they got there, they saw that there were still many cars lining the long drive. Lois parked near the back. She and Clark got out of the car and took their time going back up to the house.

Once they got there, Clark stopped in front of the door. "Lois," he said as he grasped her wrist.

She stopped and turned to him, wondering what he was going to say. She was surprised when he slid his hand from her wrist to her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you," he said with the barest hint of a smile on his lips.

Lois's lips quirked upward. "Anytime," she said as she squeezed his hand back.

And hand-in-hand, they walked into the house.

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**Author's Note: Honestly, I had written a different version of this a while ago, but I can't find it now, so I just winged it. Personally, I liked the other version better, but I hope that you all like this one!**

**And I know that I have to update _On The Exhale_. I'm working on it, I promise.  
**


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